Tire changer



Feb. 17, 1931. WEAVER ET AL 1,792,667

TIRE CHANGER Filed June 22. 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 17, 1931. G. E. WEAVER ET AL I 1,792,667

TIRE CHANGER Filed June 22, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 B flaw-Zia; ma

Patented Feb. 17, 1931 T error:

GAILABI) E. WEAVER AND VIILLIAIII B. MAGKINTOSI-I, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSItZ-NORS TO WEAVER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS TIRE CHANGER Application filed June 22,

10 been possible to give the rim an objectionable and detrimental, permanent bend or set.

Accordingly, one aim of the invention is to supply a power-actuated mechanism for operating the rim, but which is so constructed as to avoid or preclude the possibility of the rim being deformed unduly or in excessive degree, which would very likely result in springing it suiiiciently to permanently injure it.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind which is simple in structure, easy to operate, efliclent in action, and inexpensive to manufacture.

To enable those acquainted with this art to comprehend the invention and the advantages accruing from its employment, in the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of this application, and to which reference should be made in connection with the following detailed description, a present, desirable and preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented, like reference numerals being employed to designate the same structural parts throughout the several views.

In these drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a rim contracted by the device;

Fig. 3 is a top, plan view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal, central, vertical section, on an enlarged scale, on line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a face view of the disc-valve controlling the compressed air.

Referring to these drawings, it will be observed that the novel and improved appliance includes a substantially T-shaped top portion comprising a hollow, straight casting 11 forming the head of the T and having at the 1923. Serial No. 287,503.

middle of one of its sides an annularlygrooved cylinder-head 12, in the circular channel of which the end of a cylinder 13 fits, the opposite, terminal portion of such cylinder occupying a similar groove in another cylinder-head 14 forming an end section of a hollow casting 15, the pair of cylinder-heads being secured together, with the cylinder proper clamped effectively between them, by means of a plurality of threaded rods or bolts 16,16.

Such separate elements, when thus united, form a single frame of general T-shape, which is supported in horizontal relation on three slightly-inclined legs 17 17 tied or joined together by rods 18, 18 carrying a convenient shelf or pan 19.

' Casting 11, as specified, is hollow, and has a longitudinal slot in its top, the upper faces of the metal along its opposite margins being finished or planed to form suitable, smooth guides for a pair of blocks 21 and 22, each having an upstanding, obliquely-disposed aw 23 adapted to engage the inner surface of the rim, and a smaller, similarly-arranged hook or jaw 24 designed to engage the outer face of, and to overlie the lower flange of, a rim resting on the block.

Both blocks 21 and 22 ride on the spaced, finished surfaces specified, and each has .one or more portions extending down through the slot and enlarged below the latter, as shown in Fig. 4:, to prevent the block from rising out of proper position.

Each such block has a depending lug with a threaded hole therethrough to receive its portion of a right and left hand, threaded shaft 25 positioned in the casting and revoluble in a bearing in a bracket 26 mounted at one end of the casting.

'An operating handle 27, fastened to the protruding end of the shaft, bears against the outer face of the bracket-bearing, and a collar or sleeve 28 on the shaft co-operates with the opposite surface of the bearing, thus precluding or preventing substantial lengthwise shifting of the shaft.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious, that, by turning the handle 27 in the one direction or the other, the pair of blocks may be caused to approach one another simultaneously or similarly separate to secure the desired adjustment, whereby to enable their jaws to co-operate properly with rims of different diameters.

Block 21 is supplied with a pointer, index or arrow 29 (Fig. 1), which coacts with graduation marks and companion, rim-diameter, designation figures 31 provided on the front side of the casting 11, which function to show the size of the rim for which the two jaws are set when in a given position.

The forwardly-extended, hollow casting 15 is similarly supplied with a sliding block 32 having an upright jaw 33 and an inwardlyfacing, lower hook or jaw 34, the part 33 having a vertical bearing 35 open at its top and accommodating a cylindrical shank 36 of an upper, supplemental hook or jaw 37, which may be used, if desired, or may be raised and swung around into inoperative position, when its employment is not re quired.

It will be observed that the parts 33 and 34 are disposed straight across the block 32, instead of being diagonally or obliquely arranged, as are the companion parts of the rear blocks.

When in use, the hook 37 engages over the top edge of the rim, and, in association with the corresponding, lower hook 34, acts to maintain the grasped part of the rim in vertical relation and prevents its possible tilting or distortion under the strains exerted during the operation of the mechanism.

Block 32, and its jaws or hooks, is slid back and forth on its hollow support 15 by means of a lug 38 depending from the block and pinned or otherwise suitably fastened to a piston-rod 39 extended through a stufiingbox 41 in the cylinder head 14 and equipped at one end with a suitable piston or plunger 42 slidable in thecylinder 13.

Obviously, the reciprocation of the piston in its cylinder efieets the back and forth sliding movements of the block 32 and its associated, rim-engaging elements.

Compressed air, or "other suitable fluid under pressure, is used as a power means to actuate the piston and the jaw-block which it operates, and, as a manual controlling means therefor, the following specified parts have been employed.

.A. compressed-air hose or pipe 43 is connected, through a nipple 44, to the interior of a two-part valve-casing 45, the latter having a port 46 connecting to one end of the cylinder 13 through its inner head 12, and a port 47 connecting with the other end of the cylinder by means of a passage through the opposite cylinder-head and a connecting pipe 48.

A rotary or oscillatory disc-valve 49 in the casing has a port 51 extended therethrough and designed, when in one position, to admit 46 when the valve-port 51 is in r ister with the port 47, and which joins port 2 with port 47 when the valve-port 51 is in alignment with port 46.

Thus, by turning the valve, compressedair may be admitted selectivel into either end of the cylinder to actuate its piston correspondingly, the other end oi. the cylinder being simul aneously connected to the atmosphere to pe it the ready discharge or escape of the air in the correlated side of the piston.

The disc-Valve is held to its seat, in proper, cit-operative relation with the specilied ports, by a short, coiled, expansionspring interposed between the vi ve and one end of the valve-casing, all as is clearly depicted in 4.

in order that the disc-valve may be COHVQZL iently ope ator, it is mounted on a suitably support-ct shaft 5-4 extending to the front of the machine, as shown in Fig. 4, where it is equipped with a turning or operating handle 55.

The appliance is operated practically as follows, for transversely-split, vehicle-whecl rims:

Assumin that a tirecasing, mounted on such a rim 56, is to be detached or removed therefrom, the handle 27 is turned to adjust the two jaws 23, 23 conjointly toward or from one another until the pointer 29 is opposite the numeral of the scale 31 answering to the size of the rim..

In the present instance, we will assume that the rim is 20-inch size, and the index is brought opposite the figures 20, as shown in Fig. 1.

The machine is then properly set to accommodate a rim of that size and no other, the powerjaw being at its outermost position.

Thereupon, the rim and its tire are placed over the three jaws 23, 23, resting on the corresponding three blocks 21, 21, 32, the additional jaw or hook 37 being turned around out of the way to permit such application of the rim and its tire to the apparatus in the manner specified.

If it is desired to use the hook 37 also, it may then be raised, swung around and lowered to hook over the upper edge of the mm.

The split or joint of the rim should be located a few inches to one side of the powerjaw 33.

Then the operator turns handle 55 to admit compressed air into the outer end of the cylinder, that is, the left-l1and end as the parts are viewed in Fig. 4, the valve at the same time connecting the other end of the cylinder to the atmosphere through port 52, such action causing the hook 34: totravel in wardly and to break or separate the rin1sections at the joint, the other parts or" the rim being held from movement by the retaining, stationary hooks or lugs 24, 24.

Inasmuch as all of these holding elements 24, 24, 34 overlie the lower flange of the rim, the latter cannot become distorted or twisted out of its plane, so that the contracting action 7 is properly brought about or consummated.

Thereupon, the operator lifts the free end of the rim, so that the latter then has a general spiral conformation, as presented in Fig. 2, and from this the tire can be easily removed in the usual way.

To replace the tire, it is mounted on the rim while the latter is in this form, whereupon the elevated portion of the rim is forced down into the plane of the rim, the ends of the latter then overlapping in the usual way.

The operator now turns the handle to shift the position of the valve to admit the compressed air into the inner or right-hand end of the cylinder and to connect its other end to the atmosphere, thus causing the piston, the block 32 and its jaw 33 to travel outwardly radially and expand the rim a definite amount suficient to permit its ends to be brought into correct register and to be secured together in this relation by the lock which is attached to rims of this type.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the use of three jaws insures theexertion of substantially uniform pressure on the rim at properly spaced points and prevents any danger of improperly distorting it.

Furthermore, during the contraction action, by gripping the rim at the bottom by the two stationary jaws, the rim is permitted to flex naturally without likelihood of improperly springing it.

The travel of the power-jaw is limited to prevent over-expansion or over-contraction of the rim, and consequent undue distortion, provided the other two jaws are properly adjusted to fit the size of the rim in question.

It is to be understood that when the adjustable, stationary jaws are set for a given size rim, as indicated by the index 29 on the scale 31, and the other jaw 33 is in its outermost position, the three jaws will not receive a rim of lesser diameter.

Of course, a rim of larger size could be applied over the jaws, but the power-moved jaw, under such circumstances, would not have a Slli'fiClGIll; range of movement to contract the rim adequately for the purposes in view.

Therefore, there is no danger of a workman attempting to operate the machine with a rim in such a way that it could be unduly or excessively deformed, with injurious results.

' Those acquainted with this art will understand the manner in which the several stated objects of the invention are obtained in the new device, and that the details of structure of the latter may be modified or changed within substantial degree without departing from the substance of the invention as defined by the following claims and without the loss of any of its material advantages.

We claim:

1. In a tire-changer, the combination of supporting-means, rim-engaging jaw-means on said supporting-means, means to adjust saidjaw-means to adapt the same to rims of different diameters, graduated means to indicate the adjustment of said jaw-means, a movable rim-engaging jaw, and means to move said jaw to expand or contract a rim associated with said aw-means and jaw, said moving means being capable of moving said jaw a definite amount sufficient only for proper action upon the rim, said adjusted j aw-means and jaw, when the latter is in its outermost position, being incapable of receiving a rim of lesser diameter size than that then designated by said indicating means, whereby danger of over-expanding or overcontracting a rim is avoided.

2. In a tire-changer, the combination of supporting-means, rim-engaging j aw-means on said supporting-means, manual means to adjust said'jaW-means to adapt the same to rims of different diameters, graduated means to indicate the adjustment of said jaw-means, a movable rim-engaging jaw, and manuallycontrolled power means to move said jaw to expand or contract a rim associated with said jaw-means and jaw, said power means being capable of moving said jaw a definite amount suflicient only for proper action upon the rim, said adjusted jaw-means and jaw, when the latter is in its outermost position, being incapable of receiving a rim of lesser diameter size than that then designated by said indicating means, whereby danger of overexpanding or over-contracting a rim is avoided.

3. In a tire-changer, the combination of supporting-means, a pair of rim-engaging jaws on said supporting-means, manual means to adjust said jaws in a substantially straight line toward and from one another equally and simultaneously to adapt them to rims of difierent diameters, means to indicate the adjustment-of said pair of jaws, a third rim-engaging jaw on said supportingmeans movable in a line at substantially right-angles to said first line to contract or to expand a rim associated With said jaws, and manually-controlled power means, including a cylinder and its piston, to move said third jaw a definite amount suflicient only for proper action on the rim, said adjusted pair of jaws and third jaw, when the latter is in its outermost position, being in capable of receiving, a rim of lesser diameter size than that then designated by said indicating means, whereby danger of over-expanding or over-contracting a rim is avoided. g 4. In a tire-changer, the combination. of supportin means, a pair oi rim-engaging jaws slidaioly mounted on said supportingmeans tomove toward and from one another in a substantially straight-line to adapt them m to act on rims of diflerent sizes, a shaft revolubly mounted on said supporting-means and having right-hand and left-hand screwthreaded sections cooperating with threaded portions of said jaws, an operating handle on one end. of said shaft by means of which it may be manually-controlled to effect simultaneous and. equal adjustment of said jaws, a cylinder adjacent to, and with its axis at right-angles to, the line of travel of said 1 jaws, a third rim-engaging aw slidable on said supporting-means outwardly beyond said cylinder and in a path at right-angles with said line of travel, a piston slidable in said cylinder, apiston-rod on Which said piston is mounted and by which said third jaw is reciprocated, and means to admit fluid under pressure into either end of said cylinder and to permit its discharge therefrom to produce the required reciprocations of said pistonand third jaw to eflectthe contraction or expansion of a rim.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

GAILARD- E. WEAVER. WILLIAM B. MACKINTOSH. 

